diff --git a/.dagger/modules/e2e/main.dang b/.dagger/modules/e2e/main.dang
index a1932eb..b92ce59 100644
--- a/.dagger/modules/e2e/main.dang
+++ b/.dagger/modules/e2e/main.dang
@@ -60,6 +60,33 @@ type E2e {
     assert(value.contains(want) == false, message)
   }
 
+  """
+  Assert that a string contains every expected substring.
+  """
+  let assertContainsAll(value: String!, wants: [String!]!): Void {
+    wants.each { want =>
+      assertContains(value, want, "expected value to contain: " + want)
+    }
+    null
+  }
+
+  """
+  Assert that a string contains none of the unwanted substrings.
+  """
+  let assertContainsNone(value: String!, unwanted: [String!]!): Void {
+    unwanted.each { want =>
+      assertNotContains(value, want, "expected value not to contain: " + want)
+    }
+    null
+  }
+
+  """
+  Return the rendered Python module source from an init changeset.
+  """
+  let initSource(changes: Changeset!, path: String!, package: String!): String! {
+    changes.layer.file(path + "/src/" + package + "/__init__.py").contents
+  }
+
   """
   The helper should expose the generate skip marker used by callers.
   """
@@ -134,13 +161,56 @@ type E2e {
     assert(contains(defaultChanges.addedPaths, defaultPath + "/" + generatedMarkerPath) == false, "init should not produce SDK-generated files")
     assert(defaultChanges.modifiedPaths.length == 0, "init unexpectedly modified existing files")
     assert(defaultChanges.removedPaths.length == 0, "init unexpectedly removed files")
-    assertContains(defaultChanges.layer.file(defaultPath + "/src/init_default/__init__.py").contents, "class InitDefault:", "minimal template did not render the module type")
+    assertContains(defaultChanges.layer.file(defaultPath + "/src/init_default/__init__.py").contents, "class InitDefault:", "default template did not render the module type")
 
     assertContains(legacyChanges.layer.file(legacyPath + "/src/init_legacy/main.py").contents, "class InitLegacy:", "legacy template did not render the module type")
 
     null
   }
 
+  """
+  The default template should render a working module that reads source from
+  the workspace and returns a ready-to-build container. The empty template
+  should remain available as a bare object class.
+  """
+  pub templateCheck(ws: Workspace!): Void @check {
+    let defaultPath = outputRoot + "/template-default"
+    let emptyPath = outputRoot + "/template-empty"
+
+    let defaultSource = initSource(
+      pythonSdk.initModule(ws, name: "template-default", path: defaultPath),
+      defaultPath,
+      "template_default",
+    )
+    assertContainsAll(defaultSource, [
+      "class TemplateDefault:",
+      "@classmethod\n    def create(",
+      "ws: dagger.Workspace",
+      "base_image_address: str = \"alpine:3.24\"",
+      "return cls(",
+      "def container(self) -> dagger.Container:",
+      ".with_directory(\"/src\", self.source)",
+    ])
+    assertContainsNone(defaultSource, ["def __init__", "{{"])
+
+    let compatibleDefaultSource = initSource(
+      pythonSdk.initModule(ws, name: "template-default", path: defaultPath, template: ""),
+      defaultPath,
+      "template_default",
+    )
+    assert(compatibleDefaultSource == defaultSource, "an explicitly empty template should select the default template")
+
+    let emptySource = initSource(
+      pythonSdk.initModule(ws, name: "template-empty", path: emptyPath, template: "empty"),
+      emptyPath,
+      "template_empty",
+    )
+    assertContainsAll(emptySource, ["class TemplateEmpty:", "    pass"])
+    assertContainsNone(emptySource, ["def container", "{{"])
+
+    null
+  }
+
   """
   Generating an existing module should produce generated files rooted at that
   module without touching unrelated paths.
diff --git a/python-sdk.dang b/python-sdk.dang
index 6f0ca99..ca81d19 100644
--- a/python-sdk.dang
+++ b/python-sdk.dang
@@ -136,14 +136,15 @@ type PythonSdk {
   new module's `path`. Engine-owned files (dagger-module.toml, workspace config
   updates) are produced by the engine and merged with this changeset.
 
-  Pass `template` to materialize files from templates/<template>. The empty
-  default uses this module's minimal template.
+  Pass `template` to pick a starter under templates/<template>. It defaults to
+  `default` (a small working module). Use `empty` for a bare object class. An
+  explicitly empty template also selects `default` for compatibility.
 
   Pass `pythonVersion`, `useUv`, or `baseImage` to customize the generated
   pyproject.toml. Defaults leave the template untouched: the template's Python
   version is used, uv is enabled, and no base image override is written.
   """
-  pub initModule(ws: Workspace!, name: String!, path: String!, template: String! = "", pythonVersion: String! = "", useUv: Boolean! = true, baseImage: String! = ""): Changeset! {
+  pub initModule(ws: Workspace!, name: String!, path: String!, template: String! = "default", pythonVersion: String! = "", useUv: Boolean! = true, baseImage: String! = ""): Changeset! {
     let rawPath = path.trimPrefix("./").trimPrefix("/")
 
     let modPath = if (rawPath == "" or rawPath == ".") {
@@ -154,7 +155,7 @@ type PythonSdk {
       rawPath.trimSuffix("/")
     }
 
-    let selectedTemplate = if (template == "") { "minimal" } else { template }
+    let selectedTemplate = if (template == "") { "default" } else { template }
 
     if (currentModule.source.exists("templates/" + selectedTemplate) == false) {
       raise "unknown init template: " + template
diff --git a/templates/minimal/pyproject.toml.tmpl b/templates/default/pyproject.toml.tmpl
similarity index 84%
rename from templates/minimal/pyproject.toml.tmpl
rename to templates/default/pyproject.toml.tmpl
index 30359be..6a46215 100644
--- a/templates/minimal/pyproject.toml.tmpl
+++ b/templates/default/pyproject.toml.tmpl
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ requires-python = ">=3.14"
 dependencies = ["dagger-io"]
 
 [build-system]
-requires = ["uv_build>=0.8.4,<0.9.0"]
+requires = ["uv_build>=0.8.4,<0.12.0"]
 build-backend = "uv_build"
 
 [tool.uv.sources]
diff --git a/templates/default/src/{{.ModulePackage}}/__init__.py.tmpl b/templates/default/src/{{.ModulePackage}}/__init__.py.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..adee060
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/default/src/{{.ModulePackage}}/__init__.py.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import dagger
+from dagger import dag, function, object_type
+
+
+@object_type
+class {{ .ModuleType }}:
+    source: dagger.Directory
+    base_image_address: str
+
+    @classmethod
+    def create(
+        cls,
+        ws: dagger.Workspace,
+        base_image_address: str = "alpine:3.24",
+    ):
+        return cls(
+            source=ws.directory(
+                "/",
+                exclude=[
+                    "**/.dagger",
+                    "**/.git",
+                    "**/.venv",
+                    "**/__pycache__",
+                    "**/node_modules",
+                    "**/dist",
+                ],
+            ),
+            base_image_address=base_image_address,
+        )
+
+    @function
+    def container(self) -> dagger.Container:
+        """A container with the workspace source, ready to build."""
+        return (
+            dag.container()
+            .from_(self.base_image_address)
+            .with_directory("/src", self.source)
+            .with_workdir("/src")
+        )
diff --git a/templates/empty/pyproject.toml.tmpl b/templates/empty/pyproject.toml.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a46215
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/empty/pyproject.toml.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[project]
+name = "{{ .ModuleName }}"
+version = "0.1.0"
+requires-python = ">=3.14"
+dependencies = ["dagger-io"]
+
+[build-system]
+requires = ["uv_build>=0.8.4,<0.12.0"]
+build-backend = "uv_build"
+
+[tool.uv.sources]
+dagger-io = { path = "sdk", editable = true }
diff --git a/templates/minimal/src/{{.ModulePackage}}/__init__.py.tmpl b/templates/empty/src/{{.ModulePackage}}/__init__.py.tmpl
similarity index 98%
rename from templates/minimal/src/{{.ModulePackage}}/__init__.py.tmpl
rename to templates/empty/src/{{.ModulePackage}}/__init__.py.tmpl
index a3814ad..e26f5ef 100644
--- a/templates/minimal/src/{{.ModulePackage}}/__init__.py.tmpl
+++ b/templates/empty/src/{{.ModulePackage}}/__init__.py.tmpl
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from dagger import object_type
 
+
 @object_type
 class {{ .ModuleType }}:
     pass
diff --git a/templates/legacy/pyproject.toml.tmpl b/templates/legacy/pyproject.toml.tmpl
index 30359be..6a46215 100644
--- a/templates/legacy/pyproject.toml.tmpl
+++ b/templates/legacy/pyproject.toml.tmpl
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ requires-python = ">=3.14"
 dependencies = ["dagger-io"]
 
 [build-system]
-requires = ["uv_build>=0.8.4,<0.9.0"]
+requires = ["uv_build>=0.8.4,<0.12.0"]
 build-backend = "uv_build"
 
 [tool.uv.sources]